Dewar statue back in city centre

The 9ft bronze statue was taken away for renovation in October

The statue of the late First Minister Donald Dewar has been returned to Glasgow after a two-month overhaul.

The 9ft bronze figure has been the target for vandalism, with its glasses bent on several occasions.

After a thorough clean, the piece has been returned and raised on a 6ft-high plinth to prevent attack.

It was hoped that CCTV cameras installed near the site outside the Buchanan Galleries shopping centre would also help deter vandals.

The cost of the restoration was said to be in the region of £25,000.

It took workmen more than three hours to remove the £30,000 figure in a delicate operation in October.

I am confident that the new plinth will deter those who seek to cause it further damage Liz Cameron Glasgow's Lord Provost

The statue of Mr Dewar, who died of a brain haemorrhage in 2000, was officially unveiled in May 2002.

It was the work of Glasgow sculptor Kenny MacKay and was first unveiled by Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Within days its glasses were left twisted and bent by vandals and in a more recent incident a leg was spray painted.

The renovated statue was unveiled on Thursday by Glasgow's Lord Provost Liz Cameron.

She said: "It is wonderful to see Donald Dewar's statue back in the heart of Glasgow.

"I am confident that the new plinth will deter those who seek to cause it further damage."

Kirsty Miller, 34, from Clarkston, Glasgow, said: "It looks much better on the plinth but I don't think it will take very long before it's vandalised.

"If people are that way inclined they'll find a way to vandalise it."

At the original unveiling, Mr Blair described Mr Dewar's political career as "very much a triumph of substance over style".

"Substance was all that ever mattered to him," he said. "With Donald, style never stood a chance."

The prime minister said the founding figure of Scottish devolution was "without doubt one of the towering political figures of his generation".